Thomas ii



Patented Uct. Il, |898.

T. H. PARRY.

UPHULSTERING. (Appucaion mea June 17, 189B.)

(No Model.)

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NrTnD STATES PATENT Erice.

THOMAS II. PARRY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

UPHOLSTERING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,174, dated October 11, 1898.

Application filed June 17, 1898.

To (LZ2, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS I-I. PARRY, a citizen of the United States,residin g at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Upholstering, of which the following is a specification. y

This invention relates to improvements in upholstering buggy-seat cushions; and the object of the invention is to introduce a stiffening-frame into the cushion which will give form and durability to the finished seat and support the work during the process of conlstruction, whereby the upholsterer will be able to produce a more uniformly filled cushion in much less time than ever heretofore possible.

The invention has special reference to the construction of tufted cushions, which heretofore have been made step by step, beginning with the outside row of tufts at one end or side of the cushion; but this invention enables the outside cover to be plaited and laid down on suitable forms and the filling inserted from the open inverted bottom of the cushion.

I accomplish the objects of the invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view in perspective of a tufted buggy-cushion made in accordance with this invention, a portion of the upholstering being removed to more clearly show the construction. Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of a part of the covering material of the cushion and shows the manner in which it is plaited preparatory to being laid on the forms for shaping the tufts. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the forming-board with the seat-frame in position ready to be incorporated into a cushion. Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of a portion of the covering material, showing how the plait is made and showing the material on one of the forms and held in place by a clamping-pin, the upper end of the latter being broken off. Fig. 5 is a detail, in side elevation and partial vertical section, of the pin and vertical section of the forming-table, with the covering material shown in heavy black line passing over the form. Fig. 6 is an end view of the forming-board, showing the seatframe in position preparatory to securing it serial No. 6 83,672. (No model.)

lby turning the adjustable supporting-bracket into supporting position. Fig. 7 is a like view showing the adjustable bracket in its operative position to support the seat-frame and showing the clamp-pins on the forms.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

A represents the cushion-frame, which is rectangular in shape and of a size equal to the desired size of the bottom of the proposed cushion.

B are the tufts, which are covered with leather, cloth, or any suitable and usual material O, and b is the filling, which may be hair, excelsior, or any suitable pliable substance.

Y O is thecover for the bottom of the seat and is tacked to the outside of the frame.

The number of tufts may be varied to suit the requirements of taste or price.

In the operation of making a cushion the covering material Ois first marked, usually by perforations, at the intersections of the dividing-lines between the tufts. It is then dampened to expand the goods and is plaited or folded over carefully to make the plaits d in the mannershown in Fig. 2. The covering thus folded isplaced face downward on the forming-board D. This board has a series of formers E of low pyramidical shape, ter minating at their tops with the foursided extensions c. IVhen the covering material is laid, as above stated, onto the forming-board, these formers E make thedepressions at the corners of the tufts and give shape to the latter. To retain the plaits and hold the covering material in place, clamping-pins F are slipped over the squared ends e of the forml ers. These pins are split diametrically at right angles and act like a four-pronged clothes-pin. They are long to reach above the thickness of hair or excelsior with which the cushion is filled, and tapering to facilitate the introduction of the filling material. They are only used until the first layer of filling material, sufficient to hold the pleats from unfolding, has been added, and then they are withdrawn and the llin g completed without anything being in the way to obstruct the operation; but before any filling material at all has been added the cushion-frame A is IOO placed in an inverted and elevated position at a suitable distance above the formingboard. It will be noted that the cushion is made upside down-that is, the tufted part of the cushion, which will be uppermost when the job iscompleted, is on the bottom or side next to the forming-board during the process of construction. The cushion-frame A is depress, where the required compression is secured. The bottom material C is tacked to the frame A before the removal from the press, and after the removal of the cushion from the press the stitching M is done before the cushion is taken o of the forming-board or released in any way. This is permitted by providing an opening` N through the fornislgned to rest on the bott-om of the buggyseat, and consequently the thickness of the cushion will be determined in constructing the cushion by the elevation or distance above the forming-board of the cushion-frame. This desired elevation of the cushion-frame is secured by the fixed brackets G and the pivotally-adjustable brackets H, which are supported from the forming-board and extend upwardly and have the recesses g and h, in which the edges of the frame are inserted andheld. The frame is introduced into the notches g, the brackets H ybeing then in the positions shown by the. dotted lines in Fig. 3,`

and in full lines shown in Fig. 6. Then the brackets H are swung around on the pivotal connections 71, into the positions shown in full lines in Figs. 3 and 7, which engages the frame adjacent to the corners of the latter. By means of the extension H at right angles to the body of the bracket the two adjacent edges .of the frame are embraced by the bracket,which holds the frame immovably in place. The extension H also serves as a handle in shifting the bracket on its pivot.

As previously stated, the frame is placed in position after the plaited covering C has been laid out on the forming-board. Then the edges of the material C are brought up and tacked to the frame, after which the hair, excelsior, or other filling material is packed around the pins F and inside of the frame thoroughly, and after the 4pins have been withdrawn the requisite additional amount of material is added. Then the bottom cover C is laid over the filling, and the whole body thus constructed is placed in a ing-board and the adjacent former.

The dotted lines in Fig.2 show the edges of the covering material turned up, as would occur when the edges were fastened to the frame A.

Vhile the drawings show square tufts, they may be diamond or other shape Without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l.. The herein-described device for making tufted cushions comprising a forming-board havin gaplurality of raised upwardly-tapering formers, a frame removably secured to the forming-board and adapted to become a part of the cushion, brackets to maintain the removable frame at the desired height above the forming-board and means for holding the plaited covering material of the cushion during the first stages of the construction of the 

